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Angie Stevens
contacted me earlier in the year and graciously provided the
following memories of her time on the show...
Starting Out
"I
did a BBC film called 'Cicero, The Queen's Drum Horse'. It was
shown during the Queens Jubilee Year. My younger brother was
played by Todd Carty (Mark Fowler in Eastenders/Tucker Jenkins
in Grange Hill). A short while after, the BBC offered me the
part of Lizzie in Survivors. I didn’t audition because they
had seen me in
Cicero;
I think it was the same director or maybe producer."
 
Tanya Ronder
"I
was only thirteen years old and had just left
Barbara
Speakes
Stage
School
to start at
Drayton
Manor
High School
in
West London.
It was such a coincidence as I heard that Tanya Ronder who
played Lizzie in the first two series was also at the school.
She was in the year below me. I did feel worried that people
might compare me to her and I was also worried that Tanya
wouldn’t like me as I was taking over her part. I didn’t get
to talk to Tanya much at school, I think there may have been a
bit of rivalry, but we were both always in the school plays."
Excitement and Glamour!
"I
remember being excited when I received the scripts through the
post. I would read through them underlining my scenes and
lines in red marker pen. I loved the filming; I used to have a
nice lady chaperone that looked after me. I enjoyed the
attention I got from being a child actor. I remember going to
Ipswich
to film one episode. We stayed in a lovely hotel for a couple
of nights. We filmed another episode in
Cardiff.
We were always filming in farm houses or barns, not very
glamorous!"
 
Atmosphere on Set
"I can actually remember
filming the scene from where your website picture of me comes
from (see the first picture at the top of this page). I was sitting at the kitchen table with John and the
dialogue was quite heavy. I remember another scene in a horse
and cart going up a lane. It was always a nice atmosphere on
the set, everyone was nice and friendly."
John
"I remember John being a
quite well spoken boy; I think his dad was a director or
producer (Terence Dudley - both director and producer on
Angie's first episode and producer on the rest). My wardrobe
was very drab; wellies, trousers, jumper and anorak."
 
Last Role
"I was always excited at
seeing my name in the Radio Times and watching the programme
go out on a Wednesday night. Survivors was my last job as a
child actor. I worked hard at school and at my dancing classes
after school and at weekends. I loved acting and had hoped to
continue with it."
Equity Card and beyond
"When I left school at 17 I worked as a professional dancer at
home and abroad. I even did a stint as an illusionist’s
assistant to get my equity card. When I met my husband in 1988
I gave up performing and opened my own dancing school. I have
two daughters aged six and twelve who both dance and I work as
a Learning Support Assistant in my younger daughter’s primary
school."
 
Fond Memories
"I look back at my time as a child actor with fond memories
and I would love to see Survivors again just to show my
daughters what their mum once did."
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